The winter contest is going to move through very quickly and will be over by the 10th of March.
By that time I will have hopefully received some submissions in my inbox (the first one has arrived already ) and I will post them in a batch and hope they will round out and fill up by the 15th when I want to start the preliminary threads.

By the time the 21st rolls around the preliminaries will have run their course, and we'll have had a few days rest til the finals, which I want to start on that day.

The winner will be announced on Sunday the 24th, leaving time to start the April contest and a search for or the revelation of the new theme.

HERE'S HOW TO PROCEED:Send me the photo in a private message then I'm holding them til the 12th and post the submission thread.

A RECAP of a previous post of mine, for those newcomers who may not have seen it:

Photos will be the size of 800 for the longest side, and no more than 300 kb overall.
Other than that there are no restrictions of any kind.
I will even accept frames, and not balk on photo shopping or manipulation of any kind.
The idea is for you to show us something you find beautiful, or love, for whatever reason.

Give it a title of your choosing, I think it would be fine if it is personal in description or history or why you like it.

This will be a blind submission - you send the photo to me in the proper size in a pm, and I will post it in the contest. I will be the only person who knows whose photos they are, and I will, when it is all over, reveal every single originator in a separate thread in the photo forum.

So without further ado, remember your favorite and find it, or create it.

I'm honored that I get to run a contest and look forward to what you come up with. I have not done a blind one, or one in the new polling so please bear with me if I flub up. I'll do my best.
For new folks who have expressed interest, realize all of us help each other. You can write to me, or post here and ask questions to all. We love having you express interest and participate.

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan announced on Friday that the city of Detroit is so snarled in financial woes that the state must appoint an emergency manager to lead it out of disaster.
“It’s time to say we should stop going downhill,” Mr. Snyder told Detroiters in a town-hall-style meeting that was broadcast live on local television stations across the city.
He later added, “Today is a day to call all hands on deck.”
The state-appointed manager, who could be selected later this month, would ultimately wield powers aimed at swiftly turning around the municipal government’s dire circumstances — powers to cut city spending, change contracts with labor unions, merge or eliminate city departments, urge the sale of city assets and even, if all else failed, to recommend bankruptcy proceedings.

I just unhinged the thread from the top that asked for votes on 5 theme suggestions.
The top vote getter was
"A photographer's favorite"

The idea behind it is a photo that has been a favorite of yours, or chrystalizes to be the favorite of a current photo shoot, something you love and want to show.
I came to the idea because my photo that won for "I see Music" has been such a favorite ever since I took it, and it occurred to me we all have a few of those tucked away in our files, or our minds.

Since the chance of this photo coming from your files is quite high, maybe the 2 full weeks shooting schedule is not necessary, but I want to announce the theme here tonight, and when I know the schedule of the Winter Seasonal that will be announced tomorrow I will follow up with an exact schedule for the March contest.

Photos will be the size of 800 for the longest side, and no more than 300 kb overall.
Other than that there are no restrictions of any kind.
I will even accept frames, and not balk on photo shopping or manipulation of any kind.
The idea is for you to show us something you find beautiful, or love, for whatever reason.

Give it a title of your choosing, I think it would be fine if it is personal in description or history or why you like it.

This will be a blind submission - you send the photo to me in the proper size in a pm, and I will post it in the contest. I will be the only person who knows whose photos they are, and I will, when it is all over, reveal every single originator in a separate thread in the photo forum.

So without further ado, remember your favorite and find it, or create it.

Many suggestions came in, quickly, I liked that because it means to me that maybe the interest in our contests is picking up again.

I picked a few but not all of them in order not to overwhelm us, and decided to poll you guys on five of them for a short couple of days.
Don't ponder the options too long. VOTE.

My suggestion is:
A Photographers Favorite We all have a few photos that are just dear to us, and that we are pleased with, but they don't make it into a contest theme or to the forefront somehow.
In this category, it can be any subject, any presentation you chose. Color - B/W- Sepia- photoshopped - infrared - different shape, not exceeding 800 on the longest side.
Anything you have that you want to show off. On this one I would like the title to be descriptive of YOUR relationship to the image, if possible.
Glass & Chrystal The interpretation is up to you. These can be precious stones, windows, ice sculptures, close ups, macros. If it can break and is shiny it will work.
Wind Objects/landscapes or people in the wind can also be photographed in the after effects. This could be including storm photos as long as the origin is wind.

Low aspect photos - images taken close to the ground. Picture yourself flat on your tummy looking around

and finally
Color objects or subjects or happenings involving vivid color. For those B/W is not accepted

Edited to add:
I think the decision about size is not yet made officially. I am unfortunately hindered by the new photo bucket having been released without the ability to size stuff - so I must ask the photos to be submitted in the 800 x 600 size we are used to.
If you do that, and send them to me in a pm, I'm willing to do the contest with blind submissions.
I think the first category, if the descriptions are more personal, this may be especially valuable.